ARGENTINA were confirmed as the world’s number one team in the Fifa men’s rankings today, as the national government doubled down on defending the players who celebrated winning the Copa America by singing a racist song targeting number two-ranked France.

The fallout of the chant sung late on Sunday in Miami, which mocked the African heritage of some France players, continued four days later, including a rebuke to Argentina’s critics by the vice-president in its far-right government.

Argentina’s government fired on Wednesday one of its leading sports officials, Julio Garro, who urged Lionel Messi and the president of the Argentinian FA to apologise.

Javier Milei, the president of the South American country, wrote on X: “The President’s Office reports that no government can tell the Argentina national team, the world champions and two-time Copa America champions, or any other citizen, what to comment, what to think or what to do. For this reason, Julio Garro ceases to be under-secretary of sports.”

Garro said he had not meant to offend anyone, but added that he “will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms.”

Garro spoke after Fifa said it was looking into the incident and English club Chelsea started a disciplinary process against its midfielder Enzo Fernandez. He broadcast the footage on social media from the Argentina team bus in Florida.

Fernandez later published an apology on his Instagram account, which disappeared today, saying he was “truly sorry. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.”

However, a defiant post by the vice-president of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, on social media hit back at the country’s critics.

“No country with a colonial history is going to put us down for a song sung on a field nor for speaking a truth that nobody wants to admit,” Villarruel wrote.

“Enough of pretending to be offended, hypocrites. Enzo I am with you, Messi thanks for everything! Argentines always keep your heads high! Long live Argentina!”

Villarruel said Argentina’s history had been forged by people of all races: “We never forced our way of life on anyone, nor will we tolerate that someone tries to do the same to us.”

The song refers to France players being “all from Angola,” having parents from Nigeria and Cameroon, and also includes an offensive reference to Kylian Mbappe.

One of Fernandez’s French teammates at Chelsea, Wesley Fofana, who is black, described the video as “uninhibited racism.” France players Jules Kounde and Mike Maignan also posted critical comments about the Argentina incident.

Former Tottenham and France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris described what had happened as “an attack on French people.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are in a moment of euphoria because you have won an important trophy,” he said in quotes reported on the BBC Sport website.

“It demands even more responsibility when you are a winner.

“You don’t want to hear or see this kind of thing in football. We all stand against discrimination and racism.

“I just think and hope it is a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes and hopefully they will learn from it.

“It was a proper attack about the French people, especially for the French people who have some African origin and family.”

The chant was first sung by Argentina fans in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup final against France. Argentina won a penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero-tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.

Argentina has topped the Fifa rankings since April 2023 and has extended its lead over second-placed France, which lost in the European Championship semi-finals to Spain.